Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
The Final Frontier will always be overlooked by a large proportion of the fanbase. It’s a shame, as it was the last album where Adrian was actually adventurous with his song writing.
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- Thread starter Hottysmiff
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Yax
Ancient Mariner
TFF has grown a lot on me the past few years.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
It is still seen as the odd stepchild of the reunion. I have never understood the negativity towards the album. Ok the mix is not the strongest and there are a few weaker songs, but there is a good balance between long and short songs and the longer songs have some interesting parts to them.
The_7th_one
Ancient Mariner
I like The Final Frontier, El Dorado, Mother of Mercy, and I love Isle of Avalon and Starblind, Casually I'm not fan of the songs they performed live on that tour like Coming Home, The Talisman, The Alchemist and When the Wild Wind Blows…
I think you've probably summed it up very well there. If the best we can say is there's a good balance between long and short songs and some long songs have interesting parts, it's a bit damning with faint praise.
It just has no fire or intensity. It feels like Maiden without much to say, without any real direction.
I can't say I hate the album, and wouldn't disagree with anyone who loved it, but I get the general apathy. It feels much less essential than the likes of BNW and certainly anything pre 1990.
Vaenyr
Ancient Mariner
For me TFF has much weaker songwriting on average than the other reunion albums. Never liked Isle of Avalon (except the "fertility mother goddess" riff I guess), and songs like Coming Home or Mother of Mercy have a few cool sections, but quite a bit of stuff that doesn't resonate with me. TMWWBK is a blatantly unfinished mess. Starblind is phenomenal though, even if it doesn't quite reach the complexity of The Fugitive.
Flaming Blimp Crash
Ancient Mariner
Psst, they never performed The Alchemist (although I wish they did!)
I've cycled The Final Frontier for other albums to play more, but every time I do put it on it always provides for an engaging listen. I enjoy the writing and the playing on it.
AncientMariner_Essex
Ancient Mariner
I remember when TFF was released I was disappointed. Not because I thought it was bad per se just that after AMOLAD it just came across as a bit meh for me, a bit average.
For a long while I hardly ever listened to it save for the odd time I’m having a run through of the whole catalogue. Then a couple of years ago it just clicked and now I love it.
Still don’t like the album artwork very much. I like the sci fi idea I just don’t think the face looks much like Eddie at all.
Songs like starblind and the talisman are top tier Maiden for me, 10/10. Songs like coming home, eldorado and the title and isle of Avalon all 9/10 with the rest ranging from 6-8 out of 10.
One criticism I still have is satellite 15. If it was about a minute long then it’s fine as an intro to the title track but as it’s over 4 mins long as a song it’s complete dog shit and the worst thing maiden has ever recorded in my opinion. Just hate it and feel it drags on so long until the title track kicks in and the album starts proper.
For a long while I hardly ever listened to it save for the odd time I’m having a run through of the whole catalogue. Then a couple of years ago it just clicked and now I love it.
Still don’t like the album artwork very much. I like the sci fi idea I just don’t think the face looks much like Eddie at all.
Songs like starblind and the talisman are top tier Maiden for me, 10/10. Songs like coming home, eldorado and the title and isle of Avalon all 9/10 with the rest ranging from 6-8 out of 10.
One criticism I still have is satellite 15. If it was about a minute long then it’s fine as an intro to the title track but as it’s over 4 mins long as a song it’s complete dog shit and the worst thing maiden has ever recorded in my opinion. Just hate it and feel it drags on so long until the title track kicks in and the album starts proper.
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Helmuth Von Moltke
Ancient Mariner
I agree with that characterisation and have a theory about TFF.
The album is stellar and grows over time. First or superficial impressions however are created by the cartoony, IMO immature artwork and worsened by the comic book covers for the single art. The Satellite 15 intro tacked onto TFF is a poor choice and gets the album off to a flat start. So you have to potentially overlook all of that to realise the quality of the music inside.
That's my opinion... I felt the ethereal pencil sketch alien eddies inside the gatefold were a more promising line of imagery. And I do wonder about Adrian's instinct for a more produced sound. A more mature veneer to TFF in imagery and maybe production may have helped.
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Maiden Australia
Invader
Lets not get ahead of ourselves here.
Spaldy
Ancient Mariner
Christopher Baines
Ancient Mariner
New 50th Anni merch released today. NOTD and FOTD. Ive actually bought something from the official shop for the first time in years.
Ascendingthethrone
Ancient Mariner
It’s good to see some different merch for a change. Hopefully we get some good Blaze era stuff as well. I would love a Best of the Beast shirt.
Marbled in Stone
Nomad
An interview with Kevin Shirley. Almost nothing about Maiden though, only mentioned a few times. The most curious bit was when he said that on The Book of Souls he panned all the toms in the center because 3 guitars are taking so much stereo space.
Still a cool interview, Kevin is a great storyteller!
Kalata
Out of the Silent Planet
New interview with Steve.
''It seems like next year Maiden are not going to do, if anything… anything at all. So I might go out and do some festivals next year with British Lion.
When I get back with the lads, the Maiden lads that is, I just want to make sure that that is what everyone wants – to take the year off. It seems like it is but I just wanted to double check that everyone is up for that. I mean, I wasn’t particularly, so we’ll see if there’s any others that… I just think at our age you’ve got to keep going. I’m scared to stop, if I’m honest. But we’ll see. It looks like we’re going to take the year off and if that’s the case, I don’t want to sit around twiddling my thumbs. We probably should have just taken a break in retrospect. Everyone’s wise in retrospect. I think now everyone’s got other things they can do.''
About the documentary: ''It’s a documentary where they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do and it changed a little bit from the original idea. I think they should really have put up that it’s a documentary about Iron Maiden, not by Iron Maiden.''
So Steve says that Maiden won't be doing anything next year (ofc he can't say they'll record a new album, or), thinking about doing more solo shows like Bruce and Adrian (when time for writing?), and it seems he didn't want the break, but rather made a compromise (which means they don't want more lineup changes, which is good)... Not exactly enthusiastic answers about the future.
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dickinson1978
Ancient Mariner
I read the interview and they will reunite to think if they tour next year. Steve dont want to have a year off but some of them seem want a year off. Thats all. They have been touring for 2 years and this year they have a big tour. And if maiden doesnt tour bruce and steve will tour.
New interview with Steve.
''It seems like next year Maiden are not going to do, if anything… anything at all. So I might go out and do some festivals next year with British Lion.
When I get back with the lads, the Maiden lads that is, I just want to make sure that that is what everyone wants – to take the year off. It seems like it is but I just wanted to double check that everyone is up for that. I mean, I wasn’t particularly, so we’ll see if there’s any others that… I just think at our age you’ve got to keep going. I’m scared to stop, if I’m honest. But we’ll see. It looks like we’re going to take the year off and if that’s the case, I don’t want to sit around twiddling my thumbs. We probably should have just taken a break in retrospect. Everyone’s wise in retrospect. I think now everyone’s got other things they can do.''
About the documentary: ''It’s a documentary where they came to us with an idea that they wanted to do and it changed a little bit from the original idea. I think they should really have put up that it’s a documentary about Iron Maiden, not by Iron Maiden.''
So Steve says that Maiden won't be doing anything next year (ofc he can't say they'll record a new album, or), thinking about doing more solo shows like Bruce and Adrian (when time for writing?), and it seems he didn't want the break, but rather made a compromise... Not exactly enthusiastic answers about the future.
Actually, Steve is absolutely right, in my opinion, with what he says here.
It’s risky to go on such a grueling, long tour in a single year, because it can start to get on your nerves - even if you normally enjoy touring - and then you have a whole year of nothing, during which you get rusty.
The whole time, I was thinking it was a strange decision, why?
It’s risky to go on such a grueling, long tour in a single year, because it can start to get on your nerves - even if you normally enjoy touring - and then you have a whole year of nothing, during which you get rusty.
The whole time, I was thinking it was a strange decision, why?
matic22
Ancient Mariner
It sounds like a compromise between some members and managment (likely Dave and maybe Janick) for adding more dates this year. I think this proves that IM want to avoid additional lineup changes if possible (unless it's neccessary for medical reasons like Nicko) and are much more of a democracy now than they used to be 15 years or so ago, when Steve had Faulkner lined up as a substitution.
I think we will see British Lion, Smith/Kotzen and Bruce touring next year. All bands have confirmed that they want to play next year. Kotzen is even taking the rest of 2026 off from touring.
I think the managment might put the idea on the table for the 3 bands to tour together next year, with Bruce headlining. If they accept it, that is another question.
I think we will see British Lion, Smith/Kotzen and Bruce touring next year. All bands have confirmed that they want to play next year. Kotzen is even taking the rest of 2026 off from touring.
I think the managment might put the idea on the table for the 3 bands to tour together next year, with Bruce headlining. If they accept it, that is another question.
I like this idea a lot, would definitely go see a show with all 3 bands playing their own set. Maybe an encore of few Maiden hits they play together at the end.